***OKIES in the BYC III ***

[lonnyandrinda]

Spook has sure grown up to be handsome!

 

[bardies]

Thanks! We think so too!
He gave us a scare (and some experience that might be useful in the future) at a Texas show a few weeks ago. Here is a picture of Cheyenne showing him. In hindsight, you can already see the beginning of bloat. By the time we were setting them up for dinner (before our dinner...we weren't leaving just yet) only an hour or two later, it became apparent that he was in distress. Plus he looked like a ball in the middle. Several hours later, a quart of vegetable oil, some messy helpers, a quick drive to the supermarket for baking soda, cold banquet (for us - in shifts), and many hundreds of yards walked, ran, jumped and spurted about in the arena... making Spook and his partner cow move. We threw another animal into the empty arena with him so as to use the 'herd' dynamic to get him to move. It got very old trying to move him around fast enough on a lead. Thank goodness my daughter was up to the task and I was able to grab a bite to eat, and go to the store for the baking soda. By the end of it all...Spook looked his normal self and was feeling much better.



Now we know what to look for, and what to do if it happens again!
We got lucky. Had we left the site for dinner and just put them all up (without paying enough attention) we could have come back in the morning to a dead animal.

 

[erinszoo]

 

that was taken on my cell phone- one of those, i can't believe it photos..

They are so beautiful. Do the crests cause any issues? I'm so sorry for your duck loss today. I hope she shows up and the dog doesn't.

the only problem is the other ducks kept trying to de-poof them, so i had them separated- i have seen no sign of misty at all

Beautiful poofs and a lovely photo. I read up on the crested ducks after we hatched one. Apparantly they have a skull malformation that causes the feathers to grow that way. Interestingly, crested ducks often completely develop in their eggs and then die at lock down. Only 1 in 300 is born alive or something. The malformation isn't supposed to cause any issues, just the genetics are warped.

 

[artsyrobin]

Quote:
the only problem is the other ducks kept trying to de-poof them, so i had them separated- i have seen no sign of misty at all

Beautiful poofs and a lovely photo. I read up on the crested ducks after we hatched one. Apparantly they have a skull malformation that causes the feathers to grow that way. Interestingly, crested ducks often completely develop in their eggs and then die at lock down. Only 1 in 300 is born alive or something. The malformation isn't supposed to cause any issues, just the genetics are warped.
these two were a total surprise, and available, i'll be rehoming them, none of the others have poofs- if i could find them a good home, this whole dog attack thing has left me rethinking the pens and if they are safe for the birds- and trying not to be too hard on myself, if only i had done this or that

 

[Kyzmette]

Robin, if I had the facilities for ducks, I would take the sweeties in a heartbeat.


Just a heads up for anybody going to chicken events this year... when we get to that point, I'm really wanting some raspberry and elderberry cuttings to start. I don't think the raspberries took last year. I would also like some REAL blackberries, since I apparently have dewberries by the ton (I have to say, however, it's nice to harvest "blackberries" before it gets so stinking hot you want to pass out before you get a single bucket). I would also really love to have muscadine cuttings.

Also, Nanakat, there's one you gave me that I was really hoping would make it, but I don't think they did. I can't remember the name, though, and it's driving me nuts!

 

[ashtree]

Robin, if I had the facilities for ducks, I would take the sweeties in a heartbeat.


Just a heads up for anybody going to chicken events this year... when we get to that point, I'm really wanting some raspberry and elderberry cuttings to start. I don't think the raspberries took last year. I would also like some REAL blackberries, since I apparently have dewberries by the ton (I have to say, however, it's nice to harvest "blackberries" before it gets so stinking hot you want to pass out before you get a single bucket). I would also really love to have muscadine cuttings.

Also, Nanakat, there's one you gave me that I was really hoping would make it, but I don't think they did. I can't remember the name, though, and it's driving me nuts!

I live in a blackberry forest! I will surely have tons to share and am planning on going to lots of chicken things this spring. And now that my babies bigger I'll be at POOPS next year.

@artsyrobin do you know if the ducks are boys/girls or a pair? I'm seriously considering them but I'm kind of far from you and really don't want 2 boys. They are beautiful tho. I showed my husband the picture and he really liked them.

 

[Kassaundra]

Robin, if I had the facilities for ducks, I would take the sweeties in a heartbeat.


Just a heads up for anybody going to chicken events this year... when we get to that point, I'm really wanting some raspberry and elderberry cuttings to start. I don't think the raspberries took last year. I would also like some REAL blackberries, since I apparently have dewberries by the ton (I have to say, however, it's nice to harvest "blackberries" before it gets so stinking hot you want to pass out before you get a single bucket). I would also really love to have muscadine cuttings.

Also, Nanakat, there's one you gave me that I was really hoping would make it, but I don't think they did. I can't remember the name, though, and it's driving me nuts!

Just an FYI for placement, elderberry leaves are toxic.

Sorry those raspberries didn't make it. They are all about placement, if they like their location they will be invasive, if they don't, love or money can't get them to live.

 

[Kyzmette]

Quote:
I planted them among the dewberries and all around the edge of my brush, but I may have to reconsider on the next batch. I have one plant that I think may have survived the year, but that's not much. A friend gave me a bunch of muscadine cuttings and said nothing could possibly kill them, and I don't think a single one survived.

 

[Kassaundra]

Quote:
Raspberries do not like a lot of direct sun, especially afternoon hot sun, they grow as underbrush, they like dappled sun, morning sun, afternoon shade is a MUST. They like lots of mulch, generally growing in wooded areas that would naturally accumulate lots of leaf mulch.

 

[kelielliott]

Question- I have one of the chicks (born Nov 15) loosing blood. I have picked them up and inspected for injury. I don't see anything. It is staining the wood chips but doesn't seem to be stool like. I have fed medicated crumbles since day one. Could it be cocci?